Sama Veda : The Book of Chant
Published Date: 6/17/2023 6:07:56 AM
- The Sama Veda is purely a collection of 'samans' (chants) derived from the eighth and ninth books of the 'original Veda', the Rig-Veda. The hymns in the Sama Veda, used as musical notes have no distinctive lessons of their own. Hence, its text is a reduced version of the Rig Veda. Vedic Scholar David Frawley says that if the Rig Veda is the word, Sama Veda is the song or the meaning, if Rig Veda is the knowledge, Sama Veda is its realization, if Rig Veda is the wife, the Sama Veda is her husband.
- Sama Veda was meant for the priests who performed the rituals of the soma ceremonies [rituals of the threefold realm of life & death (samsara)]. As time went on rituals and ceremonies of worship became increasingly complex and so a need arose to compile all the rituals and their chants in a book, as a sort of reference point for the priests. The emphasis was on the specific style of its poetry and its literary content had no relevance. There are also very strict instructions in Samaveda as to how particular hymns must be sung. Great emphasis was put upon the sounds of the words of the mantras so that they could have accomplished effects on the environment and the person who pronounced them.